The laser technique used in the material cutting machining field is a mature commercial technique, and the development of laser generators results in a higher machining speed and a more flexible application method, and also poses a demand on an automatic loading/unloading, high-speed continuous production. With the development of robots and control technologies, carrying and loading/unloading systems developed based on robot automation control are being improved. With this background, an integrated system for loading and unloading and also cutting can greatly satisfy the machining requirements from customers. For example, the patent CN 102105256 A to Automatic Feed Company provides a progressive laser cutting device for high-speed cutting. In the device provided therein, on each portal frame, at least one movable laser head performs a laser cutting operation.
The techniques already in use include a transverse double-quick-table metal plate loading/unloading and cutting method, in which due to the use of transverse quick tables, the moving directions of the quick tables when feeding and discharging are perpendicular to a waste material discharging direction, thus increasing the operation space of the whole system. In addition, each quick table has a cutting station and two block loading stations and sheet unloading stations, and correspondingly has two block cart stacking stations and sheet cart stacking stations; four carts are provided for each set of guide rails, making the control and design of the carrying and stacking units relatively complicated. In this way, a long transverse length is occupied, so that the plane layout of the plant is limited.
Moreover, during the of the transverse quick table movement, the span spacing of the guide rails of the quick table is related to the length of the sheets, and in order to accommodate sheets of various specifications, the quick table should have a span spacing of at least 4,000 mm, which poses a high requirement on machining precision and installation conditions. A narrower spacing of the guide rails of the quick table can better ensure the machining and installation precision and improve operation performance. For a longitudinally moving quick table, the span of the guide rails thereof is related to the width of the sheets, i.e., related to the width of steel strips, which is generally between 1500-1800 mm, and thus a span of 2000 mm at maximum of guide rails of the quick table can satisfy the manufacture requirements and greatly ensure the machining quality and installation precision, so as to improve the operation stability.